Network devices may be remotely updated or configured. In order to receive instructions for remote configuration, provisioning and/or updating, network access must be granted. Network Access Control (NAC) technologies enabling Layer Two Authentication (L2A) may require a device to comply with Information Technology (IT) policies in addition to providing other authentication credentials in order to gain access to a network. This may ensure that unauthorized and non-compliant devices are not allowed to access the network. L2A may allow a network authentication controller to send system updates to a device prior to allowing network access. A particular embodiment of a L2A protocol is embodied in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.1x standard for port-based Access Control.
FIG. 1 illustrates a particular embodiment of an IEEE 802.1x compliant network 100. Network 100 may comprise supplicant 102, a device seeking access to network resources via authenticator 106. In a particular embodiment, authenticator 106 may pass incoming requests on to authentication server 110 for processing. According to a particular embodiment, supplicant 102 may authenticate with authentication server 110 through authenticator 106. According to a particular embodiment, authenticator 106 may enforce authentication, however, authenticator 106 may not need to provide the authentication. Instead, authenticator 106 may exchange authentication traffic between supplicant 102 and authentication server 110. IEEE 802.1x provides a framework to transmit authentication information between authenticator 106 and supplicant 102 by defining a standard for communicating Extensible Authentication Protocol Over Local Area networks (EAPOL).